By Your Side
by lovely bloodcry
Summary: After they return home from Homeworld Steven gets a taste of reality. Lars shows how he feels after the change.


"You did it Lar's!" Steven yelled as the gems and humans around them cheered. After all the commotion calmed down. Steven became aware that the air was filled with an awkward silence. "Guys?" He turned his attention to Lars who was staring at his parents.

"Laramie?" Lars's mom whispered with unushered tears. Lars teared up as he ran into their arms.

"You're Pink!" Lars dad whispered. Steven was confused as Lars cried harder from that.

"Um let's go buddy." Greg said pushing him along and away from the family of three.

"Yes we need to find a place for the new gems." Pearl said with a fake smile. "They deserve a home of their own."

Steven wasn't understanding why everyone was so down. He had learned something interesting at the trail, brought Lars back to life, helped him figure out his powers, escaped the Diamonds for now, and came across new gems. Lars was able to get them back with Lon's help. He looked around for the big cat but it's no surprise that he had went and did his own thing probably.

"Guy!" Steven shouted jumping in the air. "Why aren't you guys celebrating? I saved Lars and these new gems!" Everyone avoid eye contact with him.

Amethyst sighed. "Look dude that isn't the case this time." She said placing a hand on his shoulder.

"W-What do you mean? I even have healing tears! That's how I brought Lars back." He said looking around for praise. He frowned when Amethyst shook her head and walked away.

"Was healing him really for the best?" Pearl said. She gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Steven." Greg said kneeling in front of him. Steven looked away from Pearls wide worried eyes. "We're really happy that you figured out Lars powers and brought you guys to Earth. And I'm sure that these gems will be forever grateful to you for saving their lives but." Greg squeezed his shoulder as he glanced at Connie who had been quiet the whole time. "Lars was human."

"Yeah! And now he's like Lion! Kind of like a gem now! With powers and-"

"Steven! Lars was Human!" Greg yelled cutting off his rant. "You've never been human so you don't know what that means. He was born to be human and nothing else. I'm sure he was all for it in the moment but now he's back and staring at his human parents! Looking around at his human life! A life that won't be the same anymore! How can he look his parents in the eyes and tell them that that their kid died and came back as something different and new!"

"Steven we know you accept things so readily and easy but Lars isn't like you. No ones like you. You were born half human half gem. The first of your kind. Lars wasn't supposed to be like Lion. He was supposed to stay human so how do you think he's feeling now? Now that everything is back slapping him in the face. Now that he sees nothing will ever be the same. Now that he realizes his life will never be the same again. There's no telling how long ago your mom made Lion and he's still around. So that means that Lars will have to watch his family die. Watch all the people he will ever come to love die around him. Maybe you were prepared for that because you are part gem and had that explained to you a while ago but Lars was human." Connie sniffed. "Sorry but Lars doesn't have enough tears to cry on his own."

Steven was shocked at what they had said. He hadn't even considered things like that.

"Steven." Garnet was squatting in front of him. "Do you understand why we're not celebrating right now? We are proud of you but Lars may not see it as a celebration right now. He may even come to resent you in the future years that you two will have together. And it's going to hurt. You're going to feel like you did the wrong thing but." Garment gave him a light smile. "You just need to be there for him."

"Rose." Pearl said looking at the ground. "Rose abandon the things she helped."

Steven gripped the star on his shirt. "I'm not like her." He said thinking of Pearl and Lion.

He would not leave Lars behind like that. Rose helped for such a long time but she didn't feel sentimental attachment of her kindness like Steven did. She put distance and time between herself and the ones she helped so that they could come back to get help if they needed it. Steven thought of Lars. Lars who was finally showing his true colors. Lars who wouldn't to be noticed. Lars who wanted to be brave and neve scared again. Lars who hugged him and risked his life for gems he had just met. He took slow steps back away from them.

"Steven?" Pearl voiced everyone's confusion and worry.

"I-I need to go." His voice trembled.

"Good luck dude." Amethyst said giving him a thumbs up.

He didn't feel like smiling as he turned and ran back to where the family of three were. He kept going when he saw that they weren't there. When he came up on Lars house he say Lars parents sitting on the porch crying. He wondered did Lars tell them. Did they blame him? So he ran off in the direction off Sadie's house. He came to a stop at the start of Sadie's yard.

"Lars?" Sadie said looking him over.

"S-Sadie." Lars said taking a couple of wobbly steps towards her.

"W-W-What happened?"

"I-I-I... S-Steven..." He sobbed as he fell to his feet and wrapped his arms around her.

"Oh Lars what happened to you?" Sadie asked ignoring her own tears and holding him.

Steven sat down and gave his back to them. He put his head on his knees and let them have their moment. After all they were in love.

A little while later Lars tears dried up as he sat in silence with Sadie on her door step. "I'm guessing you're going to need a little more time to process... this." She said squeezing his hand.

"Yeah." He sighed. "I don't... I don't even..."

"Well I'm happy you're back. Even if you are pink." Sadie joked standing up. "I'm here whenever you'll be ready to talk but..." Sadie looked in Stevens's direction. "I think there is someone else who you need to talk to."

Steven gasped jumping to his feet as Lars made his way across the street. "Lars!" Lars looked over his shoulder with glowing eyes. "Lars!" Steven yelled again as the other teen walked through his portal. Steven gasped as was suddenly floating in the air. "Where did you go?" He looked in every direction that he could. A portal opened beside him. "La- Lion!"

Lion's glowing eyes were staring him down. Steven understood and jumped on his back as they fell through another portal. They landed on top of the ocean beside Lars who was staring down at his reflection. Steven looked around and it was like they were the only one on Earth.

"My parents are happy that I'm back." Lars said. "I wonder how long it will take for them to stop crying and saying I'm pink." He huffed looking up at the sky. "As if I don't know. Then there's no way that I can tell them I died and came back to life. There's no way they'll understand. I don't even understand! And the only one who knows what I'm going through is a non-talking Lion!" He yelled holding his head. "I just wanted to change and be brave for once in my life! Not change for the rest of my life! This isn't cool anymore! I just wanna go back! I just wanna be regular Lars again! I'll even be Lars that everyone hated! I don't care because I won't have to watch my family and friends disappear from this world. Leaving me behind. I'll be alone."

"I'll be there!" Steven shouting jumping on him and hugging him tight. "I'll be there when no one else is! I made you so I'll never leave you!" Lars just stared down at the body on his. "I'm not my mom! I'll be your family when yours is gone!"

"Steven." Lars hicced returning his embrace.

Lion watched on. He understood just fine. He knew Steven was nothing like Rose, his maker. Steven knows how to fix his mistakes.

 _After all rose quartz's liked to help._


End file.
